TWO Radcliffe men are to tackle the world's second largest iceberg in a bid to raise cash for a charity that helped their partially deaf friend.

Mark Walsh, 27, and Leet Guite, 28, are to undertake the five-day expedition across the icy landscape of Greenland where they will haul 100 kilogram sleds for an average of 18-to-20 kilometres a day.

The pair, who met when completing the Duke of Edinburgh award while studying at Holy Cross College, are going to endure the -20 degree weather and threat of polar bear attacks to raise cash for the Royal National Institute for Deaf people (RNID) - a charity that helped their friend, Ian Hall from Huddersfield, when he began to have hearing problems.

Mark, of Riverside Road, said: "The conditions will be very harsh. We will have to drag the sleds around on our skis and I have never even skiid before, so it is going to be quite a challenge.

"I am nervous about the expedition, but as well as a personal challenge, it will be an excellent chance to raise money and awareness for the charity that helped my friend."

The duo's pal, Ian will be joining them on the trip along with a party of trekkers.

The group have been training in Lancaster, hanging off cliff faces and pulling each other upwards to build their body strength.

Mark, a part-time lecturer in computer video games at Salford University, completed a Himalayan mountaineering expedition in 1997, but he has never trekked under such cold conditions before.

He said: "It will certainly be different to sitting back playing computer games, but I am confident we can do it. Our modern equipment will keep out the night-time sub zero temperatures and the threat of a polar bear attack is low in the summer. But we do plan to take distress flares as well as a rifle for extreme emergencies."

Due to the low temperatures and the harsh landscape of Greenland, each team member will have to eat 5,000 calories each - twice as much as they would normally eat.

Mark said: "It will be too cold to stop and eat, so we will have to eat on the move. Our lunch will consist of things like Pepperami, cheese and sweets. I'll be sick of the sight of them by the time I get back."